Harry Potter and the BloodStone Path
by TheLeavesBlowBy
Summary: Harry and the surviving students return to Hogwarts after the Great Battle. New things will be created, old things will be repaired and somethings will be destroyed.


**The Boy In The Bathroom**

Disclaimer: This work is neither a plagiarism nor claims to be the work of J.K Rowling. Let it stand to show respect to the author and the series.

Harry

I sat in the corner stall of the boy's bathrooms on the second floor. The door was still flung wide open but I hadn't bothered to close it when I had rushed in, I was too busy replaying _It_ over and over again in my head. Thoughts of anger. No, betrayal never left me as I thought about what I had seen. _How did this happen? What did I do wrong? Why wasn't I good enough?_

I mean we had been on the rocks since June, I don't think she ever really forgave me for leaving her. I knew she understood it was for a bigger cause, but I really was a dick to her.

And now I was getting payed back. I couldn't have expected her to stay hung up on me the entire time I was gone. After the Great Battle, and my decision to return to Hogwarts, I'd been preoccupied with the re-construction of the castle. I knew that her feelings for Dean never really went away but to walk in on them sucking face like dementors was not something I had ever thought would happen a week into the school year.

I had felt completely shattered when I saw Ginny with Dean, I should have payed more attention. I was taken all the way back to sixth year when the monster had started growling in my chest but this time it wasn't jealousy I felt, it was defeat. I had truly lost her. This realization, however, hadn't stopped hot tears from springing up on my cheeks as she had hastily broken away from him, their mouths disconnecting with a disgusting pop.

"Harry," she had said quietly, her surprise showing and a blush leaking onto her cheeks.

"Harry?" she had shouted louder, calling after me as I had sprinted out the door.

I'm not sure how long I'd been sitting here, my back pressed against the wall of the stall, tears still running down my face, but soon I heard the squeak of the main door opening and immediately froze. _Crap, I should have closed the door_. The footsteps got louder as they approached my hiding place, until I saw a platinum blonde head stroll into my view.

"If only the wizarding world could see you now, Potter." His voice rang with irritating arrogance; you could almost hear the smirk on his face. I frantically wiped my eyes, I could not be seen crying in front of Malfoy. If I could choose the one person I'd never like to see again, I'd have chosen him in a heartbeat, especially now. My tears were replaced with waves of anger washing over me, _he couldn't judge me, not after everything I'd done for him_. But he was leering down at me despite it all and I could practically feel his satisfaction.

"Merlin Potter. Are you actually crying?"

I raised my head, hoping my face wasn't too tear streaked and worse for wear, and glared right back at him trying to look more put together than I felt.

"Go away Malfoy." My voice cracked from my recent crying jag and my head almost dropped to look at the floor. Almost. "You are in the top 5 of people who should walk away, preferably with a wand up their arse."

"Woah, only top 5? I thought you hated me more than that." Malfoy stated obnoxiously, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. "Who beat me to the honour of number 1?"

I rolled my eyes and just glared at him harder, if that was possible. Then I realised that even Malfoy couldn't put me in a fouler mood so I looked back down and resumed moping.

"Potter, you're freaking me out, at this point you usually start casting devastating and experimental slicing spells." He said with slightly less superiority than usual and for a second I thought he actually cared. Then I remembered who I was talking to.

"You may have noticed Malfoy, but I'm not really in the mood to deal with incorrigible douchebags."

"Well then you won't mind my company."

OH. MY. GOD. Couldn't he just leave?

As if he'd read my mind, I saw, with my head still bowed, his feet shuffling towards me. I looked up immediately hoping that he wouldn't come any closer and lean against the wall next to me and… oh look, that's exactly what he did. _Great, just great. Exactly what I needed, a judgemental asshole_.

I was still staring at him in shock when he glanced down at me again and however bad I felt must have shown on my face because his sneer suddenly disappeared. For a second he looked concerned, and then just tired. He sighed deeply, rolling his eyes and looking exasperated, like he couldn't believe he was doing this. I couldn't believe it either to be honest.

"Sorry, do you want to talk about it?" _No. No! Definitely no._ If I were to talk about it, it would be with Hermione, or Ron. No not Ron. Thinking of him, only triggered the events of the day; Ginny kissing Dean, Dean kissing Ginny, the look of guilt on her face when she saw me. The thought made me physically ill.

"I don't think you'd understand." And he wouldn't, how could he? Its not as if he and Pansy were ever serious, and he was the one who broke it off with _her._ Besides, I didn't want the whole school to know. Ginny wasn't a bad person, and she didn't deserve the gossip. She had already fallen prey to it more than a few times but I never wanted to be the cause. I could already hear the whispers in the hallways, it wasn't only hurtful, but humiliating. Ginny Weasley dumping the great Harry Potter, saviour of the wizarding world, for someone better. Someone who took care of her and treated her well. Someone who obviously made her happy. Because as much as I tried to escape it, this was still my fault. No. I couldn't let everyone know, that wasn't fair on Ginny or Dean or myself. Yet somehow I found myself turning towards Draco Malfoy of all people, and then the words were just tumbling out.

"I saw Ginny and Dean, together. You know, snogging" A brief look of panic crossed his face, as if he hadn't intended on me actually answering. Then his expression returned to his trademark smirk. "I can't have been the only one who saw that coming"

This is why I shouldn't have said anything. It was Malfoy and Malfoy was a moron. That line from him sent more anger through me than it should have, I let out a noise, not really a growl, not really a sarcastic laugh but something in between. This boy was ridiculous, but deep down I couldn't keep from seeing that Draco had a point. Even a doorknob could have seen it, which explains why I didn't, because right now I felt a great deal less intelligent than a doorknob. I was mad though, mad enough to stand up and back him out of the stall where he still towered over me but I felt more in control.

"No." I started angrily, "You don't get to talk to me like that, not after May, not after I saved your sorry arse" at this point Malfoy's cheeks flushed deep pink, all the way down his neck. I paused, distracted for a second, but then I just kept going.

"And if you're not willing to accept all that I have done for this school, for _you_ , for everyone…" I wasn't sure how to finish the sentence, all I knew was that I couldn't stay in here much longer. The privacy which seemed so comforting only minutes ago had become confining, suffocating. Because I was no longer just alone, but alone with him. _And he wouldn't understand. How could he?_

 _Draco_

I had walked into the second floor bathrooms intent on finding the most isolated stall in the most private bathroom in a school with a surplus of students and a lack of buildings that weren't rubble. The other bathrooms where either blown apart, or occupied by gossiping first years (I didn't know which fate was worse). This one was still decent though, minimal damage and lots of windows letting the bright light of the day shine through. I had wanted to be alone and I hadn't expected anyone to stop me. So, when I had seen Harry Potter _, the Boy Who Lived,_ and then died briefly, then lived again, crying in the bathroom, I had been caught completely off guard. I hadn't meant to sound like a bloody wanker when I opened my mouth but what can I say, only the best enemies deserved the best insults.

When I had realised that my plan was hindered by a weepy legend I had almost turned around and walked straight out but I was intrigued. _Why was he hurting so much and why did it bother me?_ I had figured that I should at least try not to be a git and the next minute he was telling me his darkest secrets. _How was I supposed to react?_ He was even more stupid than I gave him credit for if he was surprised. Why was he so shocked? More importantly, why was he taking it out on me? This was the guy who had been my nemesis from the minute we had stepped foot into this school and chosen sides. I was always ordered to despise him but that war was over now and I had no idea where we stood. He still annoyed the crap out of me so I guess that's a good place to start rekindling my hatred for him. _But he was right. I'd be dead if it weren't for him._

Like it or not Harry Potter had saved me, just like he had saved countless others and I guess I owed him something. Well fuck.

He was still shouting at me, getting progressively louder until he suddenly stopped and started walking away. Now I really had to fix this. I didn't know what to do, so with my mind still racing and my hand reaching out towards him, the words just slipped out and I instantly knew that I would regret them.

"Potter, wait. I'm sorry."

 _Harry_

I didn't have to stop, I probably shouldn't have. He was just going to end up angering me more. So much for mental control. And yet, Malfoy just apologised. He was also hanging onto my arm. I slowly turned to face him and as I did I saw him loosen his hand but he had started to bite his lip. For the first time, I realized that I was clenching my own hands into tight fists, and that my nails were biting into my skin. I slowly relaxed them as he moved his hand off of my arm.

I could already feel the blood draining from my face as the more I thought about what he had just said, the more confused I became.

"What?" I said, and immediately winced at how defeated I sounded. _At least pretend that he hasn't gotten to you._ I was even more discouraged when he started smiling. What in Merlin's name… But at this point, I didn't really care, my eyes felt dry and I was tired. I felt heavy and all I wanted was to go somewhere private and rest. He, on the other hand was smiling wider and wider.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didnt mean to lash out. What you're going through must be bad. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that!" I exclaimed. He looked confused, but I couldn't help it, the words didn't fit him. They looked surreal coming out of his mouth. He shouldn't be using those words, and he shouldn't be saying them to me. I felt as if he hadn't earned the right, like he didnt deserve them. As if someone else could be using them in a much better way.

"Look i just wanted t-"

"Thats ok. I'll see you later." I cut him off before he could say anything else. His smile fell a little at that but I was backing up whilst saying this and I ended up colliding with a bunch of third years walking through the door. _So much for my graceful exit._ His smile returned in full force as they stared at me in shock and before I could recover and finally leave I heard him call out.

"Hey, and Potter? Thanks, for everything. For May and for helping me." _Great._ Before I left I looked at him one last time, dumbfounded. I gave him a curt nod, and then broke for the door.

What the hell just happened there? Why couldn't he be the same Malfoy I had always known? He was annoying, but at least he was consistent with it. He shouldn't be saying those things; "sorry" and "thank you" were words fit for someone who understood them. Malfoy couldn't possibly. Despite all this I walked slowly to dinner feeling far better than when I had arrived.


End file.
